In order to minimize shipping and transportation costs, vehicle tires are often interwoven and stacked in order to maximize their packing density. For example, when tires are shipped from overseas, they are commonly configured into a bowl shaped frustum (i.e. in the general shape of a cone or in the shape of a partial cone). By distorting the tire into a frustum, tires can be stacked (i.e. nested) one on top of the other much like ice cream cones are commonly packaged. Although this packaging arrangement minimizes shipping costs by maximizing tire packing densities, it poses a number of problems relating to separating the tires. Specifically, the tires tend to lodge one within the other whereby they are difficult to separate.
The present invention overcomes the difficulties associated with separating stacked tires and provides an apparatus and method for separating stacked tires.